You’ve just applied for a position as a security guard, and you couldn’t be more excited. All of the training and education that you’ve gotten over the years is about to be put into action, what a rewarding feeling! Now, the only thing standing between you and that new job is making a good impression during the interview.
No matter how comfortable you may be with talking to new people, interviewing for a job can be stressful. You are tasked with conveying your competency, experience, skills, and knowledge to a person (or people) so that they can determine your fit for the job. No pressure, right?
Being familiar with the questions that you might encounter during the interview can be incredibly helpful in your preparation. Let’s take a deeper dive into how you can prepare for your security guard interview, and what questions you may be asked.
How to Prepare for a Security Guard Interview
The best way to prepare for your interview as a security guard is to do some mock interviews beforehand. Have a friend or family member (or several) pepper you with some common interview questions and some questions that are more specific to the role of a security guard. Practicing questions will help you feel more confident during the interview so that you can be ready for any inquiry that comes your way. Even if you’re skilled at thinking on your feet, it’s always a helpful exercise to practice questions with someone before an interview.
Before your interview, you should also do some research about the company that you are interviewing for. Doing research shows the interviewer(s) that you are prepared, thorough, and are taking the job application process seriously.
General Questions
In most job interviews, there are some common, general questions that you should practice and be prepared to answer.
Below is a list of general interview questions pertaining to a security guard that you are likely to encounter while interviewing:
- Tell me a little about yourself.
- Why do you want this job?
- What makes you the best candidate for this position?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Tell me about any previous experience you have that is relevant to this position.
- Do you consider yourself an attentive person?
- Tell me about a time when you had to use conflict resolution skills.
- If needed, do you have the ability to take control of a situation that has gotten out of hand? Explain.
- How would you spend downtime on the job?
- How comfortable are you using computers or other forms of technology?
Security Guard Questions and Answers
In your interview, you are also likely to be asked questions that are more directly related to the security guard job. In these instances, your interviewer may be looking for specific instances in past experiences that make you qualified for this position.
Are you CPR, First Aid, or AED certified?
While this is a yes or no question, this is a good time to elaborate on any specific instances where you have successfully used these skills. Or, you may take the time to talk more about your training.
Talk about a time when you had to deal with an unruly member of the public.
This is an excellent opportunity to explain your skills in mitigating the escalation of a situation. Focus your answer on the techniques that you used to achieve a positive outcome in this situation, that is, calming the unruly member or bringing them to the proper authorities without making the situation worse.
What is your greatest strength as a security guard?
This is your chance to show off exactly why you are good for this job. Are there any specific examples that you can point to? This is a good opportunity to do so. You can also speak to your excellent observation skills, conflict resolution, or anything else that aligns with the job description for the position.
Explain your responsibilities in your last security role.
For this question, you can go into detail about responsibilities in previous roles that you didn’t get to flesh out in your resume. Here, you get to tell the interviewer all about the duties you’ve had that may set you apart from other candidates
Being prepared for your next interview by going over questions and getting comfortable with speaking about your experience is the best way to set yourself up for success. Don’t be afraid to talk about your strengths and what makes you the most qualified person for the job!
Now that you know how to answer questions during your interview, make yourself stand out with online security guard training and certification from NITA! We offer a variety of courses that will help elevate your career in the security guard field.
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